The Transition of the Practitioner to the Instructor: Exploring the Possibility of Transformative Learning of Former Police Officers Who Have Become College Justice Studies Instructors
Date
2018-07-23
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Abstract
In this qualitative case study, I explored the learning experiences of individuals who have moved from a career in policing to a career in the post-secondary sector. Transformative learning theory as described by Mezirow (1978, 1981, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003) is a useful paradigm to explore the experience of individuals going through this period of transition, especially when Illeris’ (2009, 2014a, 2014b, 2014c) focus on socially contextualized identity construction is added into the framework. In relation to my findings, I discuss insights into the development of new perspectives and roles that characterize the transformative process experienced by individuals who left their policing jobs to become justice studies instructors. In interviews with 12 participants and a brief review of curricular documents, I found that transformative learning can result in a change in identity while allowing for the maintenance of core identity. After presenting these findings, I close with a discussion of implications of this inquiry for professional programs and instructors in them in the college sector, as well as contributions to the continued development of the transformative learning framework.
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Keywords
Police Education, College Instructors, Transformative Learning
Citation
Urasaki, J. M. (2018). The Transition of the Practitioner to the Instructor: Exploring the Possibility of Transformative Learning of Former Police Officers Who Have Become College Justice Studies Instructors (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/32651